The First Annual Coronado Mistletoe Mile will take place at Coronado Beach on December 17, 2023. All proceeds from the event will benefit Feeding San Diego, the county’s leading hunger-relief and food rescue organization. Start time is at 9 am with an entry fee of $20.
The event will be a sandy sprint (or jog or walk) that will begin near Coronado’s Dog Beach, reach a turnaround point 0.5 miles south, then head back towards Dog Beach. Prizes donated from local sponsors will be awarded to the top three finishers. The racetrack is certain to provide a scenic setting for a Sunday morning jolt to benefit an incredibly meaningful cause.
Feeding San Diego was selected as the beneficiary of this year’s inaugural race due to their ability to maximize a donation’s impact to those in need. In 2023 alone it’s estimated nearly 300,000 individuals had bouts with hunger and food insecurity in San Diego County. Hunger drastically increases the risk of negative follow-on effects such as decreased academic performance, mental well-being and significant negative health outcomes. Families and individuals are forced to make the brutal choice between food and housing, food and other goods, often resulting in one or the other or little of both. Feeding San Diego’s mission is to aid in eliminating families and individuals having to make that choice, with every dollar to Feeding San Diego resulting in the creation of two meals.
This means that every participant in the Coronado Mistletoe Mile will have a direct hand in the fight against hunger in San Diego.
Organizers of the event are aiming for 100 runners for the first year and 10 sponsors to reach an ultimate goal of raising $3,000 translating to 6,000 meals. Will Lewis, one of the organizers, said “While we recognize the fight against hunger and food insecurity is a prolonged, ongoing battle, we aim for this year’s event to still produce a meaningful contribution to assist the effort.”
This may be Coronado’s first Mistletoe Mile, however, the idea for this event actually comes from Lewis’ hometown in North East, Pennsylvania where the ‘Miller Mistletoe Mile’ began in 2008. Over the past 15 years the race has grown, with the event expecting to have over 300 participants in 2023. While runners in the Pennsylvania event will be dashing through snow instead of sand, the run also benefits local charities. That event, Lewis states, “is truly a holiday staple that unites the town and local area,” and what he and organizers are trying to replicate here in Coronado.
Registration for the event, donation info, and sponsorship inquiries can be completed here: Coronado Mistletoe Mile.
